Mail-bag catcher and deliverer.



W. MANN. MAIL BAG CATCHEBQANDVDELIVERER,

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-29. 1911.

Patented Apr. 23, 1918.

\NVENTOR yp' V ATTORNEY W. MANN.

MAIL BAG CATCHER AND DELIVERER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.29. 1917.

Patented Apr. 23, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

- I N V E-N TO R M/Wfim am/7 ATTORNEY WILZIAM menu, on naiv'eronn,sou'rrr DAKOTA.

MAIL-BAG CATCHER AND DELIVERER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Apr. 1915..

Application filed September 29, 1917. Serial No. 194,041.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM MANN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Langford, in the county of Marshall and.

State of South Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Mail- Bag Catchers and Deliverers, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to improvements in mail delivering devices andthe primary object is to provide a simple and eificient device of thischaracter mounted in a railway car for the purpose of facilitating thedelivery of mail bags to stations along the railroad while the train isin motion.

- One of the principal objects of the invention is to so arrange thedevice within the railway car that mail bags may be extended from eitherside of the car to permit delivery at either Si is of the track.

The invention also aims to provide a movable supporting structureadapted to be easily moved from side to side of the car to extend a mailbag from either side while the main portion of the supporting structureprovides a compartment for the reception of empty mail bags or otherarticles.

a A further object of this invention is the provision of a mail catchingand delivering device which consists of comparatively few parts and issimple in construction, but durable and well adapted to withstand therough usage to which devices of this character are ordinarily subjected.

For a full description of the invention and the advantages and meritsthereof, reference is to be had tothe accompanying drawings and thefollowing description, wherein is illustrated the preferred form of myinvention in which:--

Figure l is a transverse section through a railway car showing myinvention applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of the same. i

Fig. 3 is a detail cross section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a detail cross section on the line 44 of Fig. 1. I

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view of a receiving device employed in catchingthe mail bags fromthe delivering apparatus.

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the same.

Referring to the drawing, in which like numerals of reference indicatecorresponding parts throughout the several views, the

car A is provided with the; usual side doorways B and C. Near the roofof the car, on

the interior thereof, 1 have provided trackways 1 and 2. Mounted inthetrack-ways isa support 3 consisting of a hollow casing or receptableshown to advantage in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing. Laterally projectingflanges 3 are provided on the upper end of the receptacle and arereceived in the track-ways 1 and 2 thus suspending the support 3 withinthe car and permitting it to be moved from one side of the car to theother.

The side walls 4 of the receptacle or support 3 are suiliciently spacedapart to permit a number of empty mail bags or other articles to bestored in the receptacle when desired.

Fastened to the top of the support 3 is a bar 5, the ends of whichproject beyond the support whereby the projected ends of the bar may beextended through the car doors when the support is moved to either sideof the car as shown to advantage in Fig. 1 of the drawing. Near each endof thebar 5 I have provided a hanger 6 to which is pivotally connected asuspension arm 7. One end end of each locking pin 9 is extendedthrough asuitable opening in the retaining bar 5 and a coil expansion spring 10is coiled about each locking pin and is interposed between the retainingbar 5 and the end of suspension arm 7.

At the bottom of the support 3 is a lower retaining bar. 11 the ends ofwhich are projected beyond the opposite sides of the support and aredisposed directly beneath the projected ends of the upper retainingbar5. A spring clip 12 is fastened to each end of the bar 11 and the lowerend of the mail bag carries a rod 13 having one end adapted forengagement with one of the spring clips 12. Projecting upwardly from thetop of the support 3 is an eyelet l4 fastenedto a link 15, the latterbeing connected to a coil tension spring 16. The opposite end of thespring 16 is joined to a link 17 which has one end reniovably engagedwith an eyelet 18 fixed to the roof of the car A above the track-ways 1and 2. The spring 16 acts to pull the support 3 toward the interior ofthe car, but prevents inward movement of the support 3, while the mailbag is mounted in the position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, thelocking pin 9 is projected upwardly through the retainingbar and isthuspermitted to engage the wall of the car. The

weight of the bag on the end of the upper retaining bar 7 holds theopposite end of the retaining bar 7 in elevated position thus I causingthe corresponding locking'pin 9 to i port 3 may be moved inwardly of thecar.

be projected upwardly through the opening in the bar 5'. The spring 10,immediately upon removal of the bag,'will act'to withdraw the lockingpin 9 whereupon the sup- 7 bottom of the track and its opposite endfixed to the pin- 20 for urgingthe head 21 upwardly above the surface ofthe track. The track is provided with a convenient opening for receivingthe pin 20 and the surface of the track is recessed as indicated at 21iii-Fig. .3 for the purpose of receiving the head 21 when the pin ispulled downwardly.

In this manner, the flanges 3 are permitted topass freely over the head21 when the head is received in the recessed portion of the track.

Itwill be noted that the structure is the same at eitherside so hat amail ag may b extended through either doorway of the car and when themail bag'is'to be extended from the opposite side of the car to thatshown in Fig. 1, the link 17 will be removed from the eye 18 andconnectedto the'eye 24:

at'the opposite side of the car. When this change is made, the stopmember 19 in the track-way 2 will be in operative position while-thestop member 19 in the track-way 1 will bein inoperative position.

In Fig. i of the drawing, I have illus trated a detail view of the hookfor attaching theupper'end of the mail bag-to the eX- tended end of thesuspension bar 7 and it will be. noted that this hook consists of a U-shaped yoke 25 to which is fastened aspring clip 26, the latter beingengaged with and retaining a link 27 carried by the upper end of themailbag. This arrangement permits thebag to be easily removed when it iscaught by' a receiving apparatus. The lower end of the member-13 at thelower endof the mail bag is hook shaped as indicated at 13' for thepurpose of facilitating engagement with thespring clip 12.

It will be understood that the above described "device may beemployedwith any 7 type of receiving'apparatus arranged at the sides ofthe railway tracks. In Figs. 5 and '6 of the drawing, I have illustrateda form of receiving apparatus which may be used with the above describedform of delivering device. A scoop like chute 28 is hinged at 29 to aconvenient. support at the side of the track as indicated at 30. At theopposite edge, the scoop is provided with eye loops 31 embracing a rod82 which may be employed to connect to a latch 33 for retaining thescoop in position. A projection is fixed to the scoop and is engaged byone end of a coil spring which will'aot to relieve the strain occasionedby the impact of the mail bag with the scoop when the scoop picks up thebag.

From the foregoing it will be observed that a comparatively simple mailbag delivering device has been provided, the de tails of which embodythe preferred form. It will be understood, however, that slight changesin the minor details of construction may be made without departing fromthe spirit of the invention or the scope-0f the claims hereuntoappended.

Claims: 7

1. A mail bag delivering apparatus comprising a support provided withupper and lower retaining bars having their ends projected beyondopposite sides of the support, suspension arms pivotally mounted on theextended ends of the said upper retaining bar, means carried by the endsof the suspension arm for releasably holding a mail bag, a locking pinconnected to the opposite end of each suspension arm and adapted toproject through openings in the said retaining bar when the opposite endof the suspension arm is held downwardly by the weight of the mail bag,tensioning means embracing each locking pin to draw the latterdownwardly through its opening when the mail bag is removed from theopposite end of the suspension arm, and means connected to thesupportand removably attached to a fixed point remote from the supportto draw the said support inwardly when the said locking pin is releasedupon the removal of the mail bag.

2. In a mail delivering apparatus, a mail car, having track-waysextending transversely and near the top thereof, a support suspendedfrom the track-ways and adapted to travel across the track-ways withinthe car, mail bag suspension means supported by the said support atopposite sides thereof, and Comprising pivoted retaining bars, eachhaving one end provided with a yoke for releasably engaging a mail bag,each track having a recess formed in the surface thereof, a stop memberincluding a pin projecting through the track-way and having a tached tothe support and to theinterior of the car for urging the supportinwardly toward the said stop member.

In a mail bag delivering apparatus, a mail car, having track-waysextending transversely and near the top thereof, a support suspendedfrom the track-ways and adapted to travel across the track ways withinthe car, mail bag suspension means supported by the said support atopposite sides thereof and comprising pivoted retaining bars, having oneend provided with a yoke for releasably engaging a mail bag, each trackhaving a recess formed in the surface thereof, a stop member including apin projecting through the track-way and having a head adapted to bereceived in the recess for permitting the said support to travel overthe trackways when the said stop member is placed in inoperativeposition, and means attached to the support and to the interior of thecar for urging the support inwardly toward the said stop member, each ofthe said retaining bars having a locking pin connected thereto, adaptedto engage the interior of the car when a mail bag is mounted on one ofthe said retaining bars to withhold the support against the action ofthe said tensioning means.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM MANN. Witnesses:

C. T. HARDING, PAULINE E. WALLMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Gommissioner oi fatemts,

Washington, D. G.

